Feb. 17, 1782 - The Battle of Sadras began in the Bay of
Bengal when the French navy began fighting with the British Navy in the Indian
Ocean. This battle was the first of five largely indecisive naval battles
fought between a British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and French fleet
under the Bailli de Suffren off the east coast of India during the American War
of Independence. The Battle of Sadras was tactically indecisive, but the
British fleet suffered the most damage, and the troop transports that Suffren
was protecting were able to land their troops at Porto Novo.

Feb. 17, 1793 – Alexander McGillivray, a principal chief of
the Upper Creek (Muscogee) towns after 1782, passed away at the age of 42 in
Pensacola, Fla. McGillivray was buried in Pensacola at Garden of Panton
Cemetery. Later, his sister had his body reinterred at Choctaw Bluff where he
had earlier had his plantation in Clarke County, Alabama, above the Alabama
River.

Feb. 17, 1795 - A man harvested a 17-pound potato from his
garden in Chester, England.

Feb. 17, 1801 - The U.S. House of Representatives broke an
electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson was elected
president and Burr became vice president.

Feb. 17, 1862 – During the Civil War, the Virginia was
launched.

Feb. 17, 1864 – The H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine
built in Mobile, Ala., became the first submarine in history to sink an enemy
ship. After torpedoing the USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, the Hunley sank,
never returning to port - until its recovery in August 2000.

Feb. 17, 1864 – The Confederate Conscription Act was passed
and inaugurated a policy of conscription that inevitably led to conflict
between the state of Alabama and the Confederacy.

Feb. 17, 1865 – During the Civil War, Columbia, South
Carolina was burned as Confederate forces fled from advancing Union forces
under the command of General William T. Sherman. Sherman’s army left three days
later.

Feb. 17, 1887 – The Bowles Post Office opened 12-1/2 miles
north of Evergreen at the residence of John Kelly, where it remained until Jan.
7, 1909. On that day, the post office moved one mile south to the W.E. “Bill”
Cook Store, where the post office remained until it permanently closed on March
21, 1911.

Feb. 17, 1908 – Major League Baseball broadcaster Walter
Lanier “Red” Barber was born in Columbus, Miss. Barber was primarily identified
with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across
four decades with the Cincinnati Reds (1934—38), Brooklyn Dodgers (1939—1953),
and New York Yankees (1954—1966).

Feb. 17, 1909 – Apache leader Geronimo passed away at Fort
Sill, Okla. at the age of 79. He was held prisoner at the Mount Vernon Arsenal and
Barracks from 1887 to 1894.

Feb. 17, 1972 - Pink Floyd began a four-night stand in
London. During the stand they premiered "The Dark Side of the Moon" a
full year before it was released.

Feb. 17, 1974 – Thomas Gatch disappeared in a balloon during
an attempted trans-Atlantic trip. He was last see 900 miles southwest of the
Azores in the Bermuda Triangle.

Feb. 17, 1976 – Evergreen, Ala. Mayor William Henry
Sessions, whose term was set to expire on Oct. 1, submitted his resignation to
the Evergreen City County, effective Feb. 29. The mayor told The Evergreen
Courant that he was “resigning rather than have to submit his family and
himself to the requirements of the State Ethics Law.” Sessions served on term
on the council prior to being elected mayor in 1964. He was reelected to a
second term in 1968, but didn’t seek reelection in 1972. He was named mayor by
the council to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Coy L. Harper, when Harper
resigned in October 1973.

Feb. 17, 1979 – Major League Baseball left fielder Josh
Willingham was born in Florence, Ala. He would go on to play for the Florida Marlins,
the Washington Nationals, the Oakland A’s, the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas
City Royals.

Feb. 17, 1991 - Alabama author John Finlay died in
Enterprise, Ala.

Feb. 17, 2003 - Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and owner
Jerry Jones agreed that releasing Smith from the team was a "win-win situation."
The formal announcement was made on Feb. 27.

Feb. 17, 2004 – State Representative Alan Boothe introduced
House Joint Resolution No. 100 into the Alabama House of Representatives,
proposing that Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey be named the Alabama State
Spirit. In a short time, the resolution was approved by the House by voice vote
and was sent on to the Alabama Senate for their consideration.

Feb. 17, 2011 – The Genealogy Room at the Monroe County
Library in Monroeville, Ala. was dedicated in memory of Dr. Woodrow Eddins and Anna Ruth Eddins.
Anne Crook Hines Farish Reading Room was also dedicated at the Monroe County
Library.